Sheet Feeder Camera Image Capture Before Conveyance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sheet feeders are limited in speed due to the need for high-definition image capture of sheets in motion, which can lead to detection errors from fluctuating sheet velocities and require extensive image processing, restricting the speed of sheet feeding.
Innovation Solution
A sheet feeder with a camera that captures images of the uppermost sheet before it is conveyed, comparing these images with pre-stored reference data to accurately detect bundle boundaries, allowing for faster sheet feeding while maintaining image quality and consistency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sheets are conveyed at low speed for high-definition image capture, then image quality is improved, but sheet feeding speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The camera captures images of the uppermost sheet before the sheet is conveyed to the book binding apparatus. By performing the image capture action in advance (when the sheet is stationary on the shelf), the system obtains high-definition images without requiring slow conveyance speed, thus resolving the contradiction between image quality and feeding speed.
2Measurement precision
If image processing is performed extensively to ensure accuracy, then detection precision is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and compares only predetermined printed areas (such as barcodes or specific markers) from the captured sheet images, rather than processing the entire image. This selective extraction approach maintains high detection precision while significantly reducing the amount of data to be processed, thereby decreasing processing time.
3Reliability
If sheet velocity fluctuation is accommodated for accurate detection, then detection reliability is improved, but speed control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By capturing the sheet image before conveyance begins, the system eliminates the problem of sheet velocity fluctuation during image capture. The sheet is stationary on the shelf when imaged, ensuring consistent detection reliability without requiring complex speed control mechanisms to compensate for velocity variations during conveyance.
Data Source
AI summary
The paper feeder comprises a first transport unit (5) to transport a sheet (S) on top of a paper stack (2) on a paper loading table (3), and a second transport unit (6) to discharge sheets transferred from the first transport unit toward a binding device. The first transport unit begins transporting the next sheet each time a sheet is discharged from the second transport unit. Image data for a specified printed portion on the first sheet in the paper stack is stored in memory (19) as reference data. A camera (14) is disposed above the paper stack and photographs a region corresponding to the specified printed portion on the topmost sheet. A control unit (18) compares the image data for the paper photographed by the camera with the reference data, and if the image data matches the reference data, the first transport unit operations are paused.